Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murray who is leading the investigation said yesterday evening: “This afternoon we received some significant and highly relevant information which leads us to concentrate our search efforts in the Great Western Cemetery and a specific grave within the cemetery.

“We’re in the process of securing this grave and would like to emphasise that the family connected with this grave have been informed.

“We will be here throughout the night and for a number of days.

“A tent has been erected which covers more than the specific grave we are focusing on. The families of those in the graves nearby will be contacted by us and reassured that there will be no disturbance to these graves. We would ask people not to be concerned, as families who need to be aware will be contacted and reassured by us.

“The investigation could take some time and is a very sensitive and difficult situation so we would like to ask the public and the media to be patient and understanding at this time.”

The church is on the same road where a man was seen acting suspiciously and struggling with a large suitcase at 2am on December 9 - six days after Jade vanished.

A number of suitcases have been recovered during searches at several addresses and potential scenes of crime in the Didcot and Upton areas.

Det Ch Supt Murray said one of these “may well be significant”. He revealed police had already searched the graveyard as part of the murder probe.

He said: “We’ve had a preliminary search of this graveyard. It was within our search parameters, but that is a wide area that we have systematically searched. The information we have received today has led us to concentrate our search efforts.”

It is two weeks since Jayden was last seen leaving Didcot railway station at around 4.30pm. Extensive searches have been carried out in the Didcot and Upton areas over the last few days as part of the investigation that has involved more than 100 police officers and staff.

Police are also continuing to search farmland between Didcot and the village of Upton.

Ben Blakeley, 22, of Christchurch Road, in the university area of Reading, was charged with murder on Sunday night following the 17-year-old's disappearance on Tuesday, December 3.

He appeared at Oxford Crown Court this morning and was remanded in custody until March 17.

A 17-year-old boy who has been charged with perverting the course of justice has also been remanded in custody until March 17.